noun
1.
a person or an organization that is not very successful and that needs help
2.
( US , informal ) a politician or government whose period of office will soon end and who will not be elected again :
a lame-duck president / administration
LAME DUCK
Meaning of LAME DUCK in English
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005